Material handling system for hospitals



y 1, 1959 v D. J. BEECHER ET AL 3,453,659

MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM FOR HOSPITALS Filed Aug. 22. 1967 Sheet of 6 3| Tim 11 c1 INVENTORS DONALD J. BEECHER y GEORGE E. OTTE y 1969 D. J. B EECHER ET AL 3,453,659

MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM FOR HOSPITALS Filed Aug. 22. 1967 .|1|I| v 1| R n m% N v 3k m I NET v WEN 1 NB II: III I D L R O 8 G 5 M W a w n T A r mm Wm 1.969 v D. J. BEECHER ET AL 3,453,659

MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM FOR HOSPITALS Filed Aug. 22, .1967 Sheet of 6 Fla. 5'

INVENTOR. Down-0 J. Batman BY G fi6 E. Orr:

wxzwu July 1, 1969 D. J. BEECHER ET AL 3,453,659

MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM FOR HOSPITALS Filed Aug. 22. 1967 Sheet 5 016 INVENTQR. DONALO J. 855617 4 BY 650M: E. 0 7

M ,(AWLA J y 1, 1969 o. J. BEECHER ET AL 3,453,659

MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM FOR HOSPITALS Filed Aug. 22, 1967 Sheet of 6 INVENTOR. DD/VALO J 555014-11 g 6 E- 07722 dam,

United States Patent U.S. 'Cl. 1861 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The system incorporates an improved concept of handling material during receiving, processing, storage, distribution, recovery, horizontal transportation, vertical transportation, disposition, reprocessing and inventory control.

This is a continuation-in-part of application, Ser. No. 414,145, filed Nov. 27, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to material handling and more particularly to an improved system for material handling in hospitals.

The system is automatic in that it is adapted to move material throughout the hospital without the use of personnel. The distribution system has a primary section whereby material is moved in bulk loads. The system likewise has a supplemental system whereby the material is moved in unit loads. Both the primary and the supplemental systems utilize closed, sealed containers on carts that encapsulate soiled goods so that there is no likelihood of contamination and so, no need for separate tracks for soiled and clean materials.

The cars have a driving mechanism mounted on them which may be batteries and an electric motor. The cars may be guided by a magnetic field in the floor. As an alternative driving system, an under-floor towing mechanism may move the cars. As an alternative guidance system, a series of electrical fingers on the car may actuate electrical circuits.

The system is adapted to move material in multifioor as well as single floor hospitals. In either case, cars containing clean material move on the same tracks as cars containing soiled material.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor system for use in hospitals or the like wherein modules are used to transport materials from a module storage area to the area where the goods are used and means is provided to positively sterilize or sanitize the modules before they can be returned to the area where the modules are used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a materials handling system for use in hospitals or the like wherein a partition means is provided between a use area and a clean area and a sanitizing means is provided as the sole means of egress from said use area to said clean area.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved material handling system for hospitals and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a separating means between a use area and a clean area and a sanitizing means in said separating means.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the conveyor system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the invention in use in a hospital;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the storage area in the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the sending and receiving station in a patient service area;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the central processing floor according to the invention; and

FIG. 6 shows a diagram of a multistory hospital using the conveyor according to the invention.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are detail views of the track system used in the other figures.

The conveyor system disclosed herein is based on the premise that a wall or partition 29 separates a contaminated area 13 from the area where the conveyor modules are stored. Thus, it is mandatory that the modules pass through the sanitizing or sterilizing device 23. To accomplish this, the cars must pass through the partition from the contamination area to the area 24.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular, to FIG. 1, there is shown a conveyor system of the type contemplated in the present invention. A conveyor track system such as shown in Angelicola Patent No. 2,612,238 could be used. A supply conveyor 10 carries a contaminated car 11 from the conveyor shaft 20 at the receiving station 21. The contaminated car 11 enters the contaminated area 13 and is moved by conveyor 10 to each unloading area. If the contaminated car 11 were ordered to carry soiled dishes, it would be unloaded at the soiled dish area 14. If it was ordered up for the purpose of holding soiled linen, it would be loaded and sent to be unloaded at the soiled linen area 15. If it was to contain trash, it would be loaded, then moved to and unloaded at the trash area 16. After the car 11 is unloaded, it is, of course, contaminated and it is moved on from the unloading areas to the car washer-sanitizer 23. The contaminated bar 11 must pass through the car washersanitizer 23, which is located in a separating wall 29, in order to reach the clean area 24. The contaminated car 11, after being conveyed by the conveyor 10 into the washer-sanitizer 23, emerges into the clean area 24 where it is indicated at 12.

The car 12 may be carried by conveyor 10 to the clean area 24, or the conveyor 10 may direct it to the down shaft 27 for storage. The decontaminated car 12 may also go into the central supply area 26 for storage or into the food makeup area 25 for loading. After the decontaminated cars 12 are loaded, the conveyor 10 conveys them to the sending station 22. After the cars are placed in the shaft 20, the operator may expedite it to the area calling for such materials.

The soiled dish area 14 which is in the contaminatedarea will be provided with a conveyor to carry the soiled dishes into the dishwashers and sanitizers 19. After the dishes have been washed and sanitized, they will pass into the decontaminated area 24 and on to the food makeup area 25.

The soiled linen area 15 and the trash area 16 will be provided with conveyors 17 and 18 which will carry the soiled linen and trash to suitable loading docks.

The decontaminated cars 12 which have been sent to the storage area by vertical elevator 27 must be returned to the vertical elevator shaft 28 and pass again through the washer-sanitizer 23 before being put to use in the decontaminated area 24. The cars can go directly from soiled dish area 14 to the contaminated area 13 to pick up soiled items.

The conveyor system shown in FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 but shows more specifically the relation of the system to the other areas in the hospital. A

The conveyor 110 is designated by the directional arrows shown in FIG. 2. The contaminated materials will enter from vertical shaft 122 and unload at the receiving station 111. From the receiving station 111, the cars are moved by the conveyor 110 to the receiving, sorting, clean up area 112, car park 113, or onto the trash unloading area 114 and laundry unloading area 115. The conveyor 110 communicates with the soiled dish area 116 where the soiled dishes are unloaded. The conveyor 110 directs the cars through the car washer-sanitizer 119 and by side tracks like those used in the railroad art, the cars may be moved onto the conveyor in the storage and dispatching area 120. The conveyor 110 is also shown connectedto the clean laundry area 128 and to the sending station 123.

Other areas which are important to the conveyor systern are shown in relation to the conveyor in FIG. 2.

The laundry is received at area 129 which may be an unloading platform. It is then taken into the linen makeup area 130 and also into the clean laundry area 128 for makeup and then dispatched by the conveyor 110.

The other important areas are in close proximity to the conveyor 110. The clean work area 127, processed storage area 125, and medical equipment storage area 124 are located along the conveyor line 110. The pharmacy 126 is located adjacent the storage and dispatching area 120. The service elevators indicated at 121 are also close to the storage and dispatching area. The dishwasher sanitizer 117 is located in the soiled dish area 116 and conveyors pass the clean dishes into the clean dish area 118. The clean dish area 118 is adjacent to the serving area 131 and also to the conveyor 110.

FIG. 3 shows the car storage area 132 which is beneath the conveyor work area. This diagram shOWs a tunnel with three conveyor shaft indicated at 139, one at each end and one in the center. Each shaft has a sending station 133 and a receiving station 134. It may be seen that elevators 137 and service elevators 138 are located in close relationship to the sending and receiving stations.

The conveyor is indicated at 135 and the clean empty storage lines for cars at 136. It should be remembered that the cars in the storage area 132. will be returned to a washer-sanitizer before being put to use. The patient Service area 34 is shown in FIG. 4. When the cars are sent up the conveyor shaft by the operator below, the electric interlock doors open and eject the decontaminated supply cars 38 into the unattended receiving area 39. A person in this area opens the electric interlockdoor 37 and takes the supply cars from the receiving area 35. Opposite to the receiving area 35 is the sending area 36 which is also controlled by electric interlock doors. The person who brings the contaminated materials here has no control over where it is going. When the contaminated cars are placed in the conveyor shaft they return to the disposal and sorting area for decontamination. Two or more wings of a building can be served from one distribution point. Materials can be sent directly to the point of collection or elimination even if remote from the main hospital building negating the necessity of rehandling. Soiled linens can also be sent directly from floor or clinical deartment to the collection area of the laundry without rehandling. The cars traverse a system of shafts, tunnels, corridors, and passageways as required.

In FIG. 5, a floor plan of one embodiment of the invention is shown that can be used in a building with a lower tunnel connected by vertical shafts 242 and 245 wherein two carousel units 201 and 211 are used for loading the cars. The carousel 211 is used to unload trash and to dispense it to a repository. The carousel 201 is used to unload various materials from the sto-car system and load them on the various elements indicated at 203. The track as shown will move from the vertical conveyor 242 and pass the carousel unit and through the car wash 266 and along the track 246 to the space 248 where it may be loaded with various clean linens from the clean linen storage 263 and from the general storage 262 from the two conveyor sections indicated there. The main conveyor will then pass through the vertical conveyor 245 and thence to the vertical conveyor 242. The cars are indicated generally at 204 and a tunnel 207 is provided for the cars to pass through. The spaces 206, 207 and 209 may be used for storage of various pharmaceutical equipment, linen, and the like.

The embodiment in FIG. 6 shows a multistory hospital wherein the various vertical shafts 141 convey cars from the storage layout in the tunnels in the basement up to the various facilities on the several floors of the hospital.

A vertical conveyors basic design employs multiple flights for carrying the cars. A series of horizontal floor towing conveyors in a tunnel layout shown will connect with vertical shaftways 140, 141 and 142, The broken lines 258 indicate the tracks for the cars.

Car storage areas will be located in the vertical shafts 240, 241 and on spur lines 250.

One vertical conveyor will operate through the shaftway of the main service core. Service will be from the tunnel to the basement, and from this point supply cars will be dispatched and received through utility areas of the five or more upper floors.

At tunnel and basement levels, this conveyor will have dispatching and receiving services to all utility areas on the complete system.

A floor towing conveyor in the basement will provide service from the kitchen 161, central dispatching 162, and linen supply 163, to the vertical machine for distribution to the upper floors.

The floor towing conveyor will also provide service from the vertical machine to the decontamination, soiled linen, trash, soiled tray return and car washing areas 166.

A second vertical unit 241 may be located in another wing. A third vertical machine 242 will provide service between the tunnel and the general stores department in the basement. Supplies may be dispatched to all departments via the tunnel, transferring cars into the main vertical conveyor for service to the upper floors.

The cars may be stored in the tunnels in the basement and also in the vertical shafts shown. When a car is needed at any part of the hospital, the operator will activate any suitable type of control means which will direct the car from the storage area in the tunnel to a place where it is needed.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show a perspective view partly in cross section broken away to show the conveyor chain under the floor, a side view of the conveyor and a cross section view. The conveyor operates by means of a chain 350 which runs in a channel 351 below the surface of the floor 352. The chain runs continuously and a rod 353 will be attached to the lower part of a car 354, the wheels of which will rest on top of the floor 352. Thus, as the cars are moved about, they may be sent from one location to another by moving the cars so that the pin 357 will extend into the groove 356 in the floor and as the chain runs the pin will move between the chain links against the pins 357 of the chain and the car will be pulled along the tracks of the floor and will be pulled to the vertical shaft and onto the various levels of the hospital.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclu- 5 sive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

We claim: 1. A closed system for moving both clean materials and contaminated materials in a hospital,

said hospital including clean areas and contaminated areas, said clean areas including patient care rooms, a food makeup area, and a clean linen area, said contaminated areas including a soiled dish area,

a soiled linen area, and a trash area, cleaning means area, said cleaning means including a car Washer-sterilizer, track means consisting of a single line track including spur tracks on which cars move containing materials from said areas for movement of both materials from said clean areas and materials from said contaminated areas on the same track, at least one of said spur tracks comprising means for storing said cars in said contaminated area, a plurality of cars each having a sealed container thereon, control means for controlling the movement of said cars on said tracks,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,795,365 3/1931 Hackle 186-1 2,612,238 9/1952 Angelicola 187-16 2,633,253 3/1953 Martin 186-1 2,703,570 3/1955 Young 128-1 2,743,827 5/1956 Winokur 186-1 2,835,246 5/1958 Boettger 128-2 3,179,208 4/1965 Umanoff 186-1 20 RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

